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Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'
Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (and Everything Else) by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò
5 reviews
eslsilver's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Classism
savvylit's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Prior to reading Elite Capture, I did have some idea of the myriad ways in which elites capture political movements and sanitize radical ideas. However, Táíwò really illustrates not only the power of the elites but the extent to which they have captured aspects of our lives in nearly every way imaginable. For instance, Táíwò details how our attention is controlled via Social Media algorithms.
Most importantly, though, Táíwò demonstrates the importance of rejecting modern (captured) identity politics. The powerful in many realms, including politics and media, will insist to the masses that they are being inclusive in one way or another. If we look beyond the surface level, though, we will see that elite attempts at inclusivity are really about optics and placating legitimate criticism. We must look beyond such hollow overtures and see that a more radical world is possible. Elite Capture is an important reminder to only accept legitimate, systemic change.
Most importantly, though, Táíwò demonstrates the importance of rejecting modern (captured) identity politics. The powerful in many realms, including politics and media, will insist to the masses that they are being inclusive in one way or another. If we look beyond the surface level, though, we will see that elite attempts at inclusivity are really about optics and placating legitimate criticism. We must look beyond such hollow overtures and see that a more radical world is possible. Elite Capture is an important reminder to only accept legitimate, systemic change.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
dalmavatai's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
This book had some great ideas, especially deference politics and elite capture as well as value capture (not that all of these are the author's original ideas). I'm very interested in reading about cancel culture, "wokeness" and social justice on social media so this was a good read, but in the second half it kind of fell apart for me in terms of the way the author built and organized their argument. It felt a bit surface-level at times when discussing the links between concepts in their own thinking but at the same time they would dedicate the majority of a chapter to detailing historical events. I also feel like the concept of "being in the room" which the author repeated throughout the book was never sufficiently defined. Interesting ideas but they didn't end up coming together as well as I hoped they would.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
zombiezami's review against another edition
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
I think I'll have to return to this at least once more to feel like I fully understand
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Genocide, Rape, War, and Deportation
ka_cam's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
A concise, quick, accessible overview of elite capture, identity politics, deference politics, and some ideas for truly liberatory constructive strategies. Used a lot if metaphores with some interesting historical anecdotes, quotes, and parables. Anyone who is tired of neoliberal identity games (on the girlboss or Black capitlism levels, or in small settings) will find compelling points and antidotes to navel-gazing and self/class-serving coptions of identity. As a very short text it doesn’t dig as deeply as it could, or develop critiques or other options as much as I would have liked, but an interesting addition to the conversation on how we should and can conduct and understand ourselves, our communities, and our systems to build a better world.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Colonisation
Minor: War